A leading North Wales law firm has delivered a significant festive boost to one of the region's busiest food banks, located in an area recently confirmed as the most deprived in Wales.
St Asaph Office's Unique Festive Initiative
Staff at Swayne Johnson's branch in St Asaph have supported the Rhyl Food Bank Christmas Appeal for the third consecutive year with a creative reverse advent calendar. Instead of receiving a daily treat, each participating employee was allocated a specific item from a list of essential foods and seasonal luxuries to donate.
This collective effort, combined with many personal extras, resulted in a substantial Yuletide donation. The haul included vital staples such as pasta, instant mashed potato, tinned vegetables, and tea bags, alongside Christmas cakes, puddings, chocolates, biscuits, and mince pies.
Critical Support for a Vital Community Hub
The donation was gratefully received at the food bank, which operates from the Christian Centre on Rhyl's Sussex Street. Founded in September 2019 and affiliated with the Trussell Trust, the food bank is at the heart of Rhyl West. It has grown into a major operation with a monthly running cost of £10,000, providing up to 45 emergency food parcels each week for people in severe hardship.
Beyond emergency aid, the project runs a community café offering recipe and nutritional advice, plus help with debt and finances. It also operates a food club where members pay a £5 membership and then £5 per visit for food worth considerably more, receiving up to 60 visits weekly.
Sustainable Aid and Community Partnership
Janette Barton, a legal assistant at Swayne Johnson, explained the office's motivation. "Everyone has joined in," she said. "For the Reverse Advent Calendar, instead of opening up a calendar and getting a piece of chocolate, we allocate what each person has to bring in, but everyone also adds some extras. They've cleared out cupboards and bought special treats for Christmas."
Food bank manager Alison Thornton emphasised the importance of local business support. "It's really important to us to have support from firms like Swayne Johnson," she stated. "It does make us feel that people in the area are behind what we're doing."
Thornton also highlighted the unique challenges in Rhyl, where some residents live in hotels with minimal cooking facilities. "We have to design some parcels so everything can be prepared using a kettle and a microwave - or even just a kettle," she noted.
She added that the food club offers a more sustainable model, allowing people choice and dignity. "Since we've opened the food club, we have seen slightly fewer people needing emergency supplies, but demand can be seasonal," Thornton explained.
Lynette Viney-Passig, Managing Director of Swayne Johnson, praised her team's efforts and the food bank's work. "Rhyl Food Bank do a fantastic job in an area which is one of the most deprived in the UK," she said. "We encourage our staff to be involved with local charities." The firm has also established a Charity Fund to streamline applications for community support.
